Mechanism for lubricating the needles and needle cam tracks of knitting machines



Feb.` 12 1924.. l l 1,483,844

W. F'- DRUMHELLER 'FING vTHE NEEDLES AND-NEEDLE CAM TRACKS ING MAC v l5 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 OF KNITT Filed No MECHANISM FOR LUBRICA HINES lllll u 8 nveido':

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Patented Feb. 12, 1924.

narran STATES 1,483,844 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM l?. DRUMHELLER, OF'SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WIL- LIAM CARTER COMPANY, F NEEDI'IAM TION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

MECIELANISM FOR LUBRICATING THE NEEDLES AND NEEDLE CAM TRACKS OF Y KNITTING MACHINES. i

Application led November 13, 1922. Serial No. 600,589. i

To all whom t may concern: f

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. DRUM- i-IELLER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Springfield, inthe county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Mechanism for Lubricatin thev Needles and Needle Cam Tracks of itting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, 1s a specica tion, like characters on the drawings representing like parts. f r

This invention relates to means or mechanism for lubricating the needles and needle cam grooves or tracks of knitting machines and particularly to circular knitting machines of the dial type. In order that the principle of the invention ,may readily be understood I have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a part only of a circular dial knitting machine having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section upon the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and Figs. `3 and a are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 respectively,but of a slightly modified form of my invention.

Attempts heretofore have been` made to supply lubricant and especially oil to parts of knitting machines but they have not been wholly satisfactory and have frequently resulted in the oil flowing to and soiling the infeeding yarn or the knitted fabric. I am also aware that in they patent to Arnold 106,025 dated August 2, 1870, there is disclosed a straight knitting machine of the Lamb type wherein a reservoir for lubricating material was provided from which oil was supplied to a ksponge by means of capillary attraction ,through a .wick extending from the reservo-ir.y In such casethe sponge was applied in lsuch a way that the needles passed through the same.vr So far as I am aware no mechanism embodying the disclosure of said Arnold patent is upon the market and the construction there disclosed is objectionable for many reasons, and particularly vbecause the needles are compelled 5o to pass through the sponge material.

I have represented my invention as ap-.

scope to the disclosed type of machine it is peculiarly applicable to a machine of the circular type having adial. I

n In the drawings I have'represented parts of acircular knitting machine including the needle cylinder 1,-the cam ring 2, thedial 3, and' the dial cam plate 4:. E. In suitable grooves in the needle cylinder and the dial arejprovidedy needles 5, 6 which may be of any suitable' type. chine thegneedle cylinder is rotated by means of a gear wheel 7 and the dial is caused to rotate therewith. 'Ihe disclosed machine is one adapted for knitting underwear and to that end is desirably provided with a relatively large number of cam sets in both the needle'cylinder and the dial and to each pair of sets of cams yarn is fed in a manner which neednotbe particularly described. In Fig. 1 I`have indicated in dotted lines at 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 certain of the cams of one of the sets and have indicated atllthe groove through which the needle buttslgi travel, it being understood thatl the butts 15 of the cylinder needles 5 travel through a correspondinggroove 16.

In accordance with my invention I provide at one or more fpoints upon themachine a receptacle 17 for suplying the dial needles. Desirably said receptacle is secured byA screw18 or `otherwise to the flat` ring 19 surrounding the needle cylinder and receives asupply of oil 20 throughthe covered opening 21.y `From said receptacle leadsfa suitable pipe or other passage 22 eX- tendingl to the dial cam plate 4, which is provided `with an opening 23 to receive the same. Said pipe 22 is secured tothe dial cam plate by any suitable means as, for ex ample, by a small disk or plate 24 which is itself secured by a screw 25 to the dial cam plate t. yIn thelpipe 22 is a wicking 26 of suitable material, which extends down to the bottom of the receptacle 17 and also eX- tends throughout the length of said pipe 22 so that its end 27 actually engages the butts lt of the needles as the same pass thereunder in the knitting operation.

While yI `might under certain circumstances and withcertain positions of the receptacle 17 supply lubricant therefrom to the cylindrical needles 5, I preferably 'prof vide a second receptacle 28 which is secured HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- by screws 20 or ,otherwise to the under side of the annular member 19 so that the oil supply 29 is wholly beneath the cylinder needles 5.

Within the receptacle 28 I position a suitable wicking 30v and the 'same extends through a pipe 31 which itself passes through opening 32 in the annular member 19 and also through a suitable opening 33 in the cam cylinder 2. The wick 30 as clearly shown in Fig. 2 extends t0 the point 34 where the butts 15 of the cylinder needles 5 touch the same in their rotation.

It will b e'observed that the lubricant res.- ervoirs v17 and l28 are both wholly below ythe needles which are supplied therefrom so that the oil V0r other lubricant is supplied wholly by capillary [action and in such limited quantities that no possible excess ,of material would reach the yarn or the fabric.

Not only are the butts 14 1 5 of the needles supplied with lubricant but through such supply to the needle butts the cam grooves themselves become properly oiled orY lubricated. i

In Figs. 3 and 4, l have illustrated the modication above referred to.- In said figures, I have represented a receptacle 17 corresponding t04 the receptacle l? 0f Fiss l and 2, but'of enlargedcapacity and located suilicientlyl low to provide for the supply of lubricant by wicks 26 or 30 to both sets of needles. It is unnecessary to describe in detail the structure'shown in said figures. I

have, in said figures, in illustraties the novel features of Athe invention used the same numerals as inv Figs. land '2, but added a prime. i l

Having thus described one illustra-.tive smbodimentv of my invention, I `desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a ygeneric and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the 'Scope ofthe, invention being set forth in the following claims".f

1. Knitting mechanism having independently movable needles provided with butts and' means to supply lubricant to the said needle butts, said in'eans including a lubricant-carrying member in contactwith said butts. i

2f Knitting mechanism having independently movable needles provided with butts, and means tunctioning through capillary action to supply lubricant material tof said needlebutts, said means includirug a lubricant-carrying member in Contact 4with said butts.

3. Knitting mechanism having independently movable needles with butts, a carrier therefor, `a plurality of oil receptacles sup' ported independently of said carrier and located wholly 'lower than the said needles, and means leading lubricant from said receptacles directly to the vicinity of the butts of the said needles.

4. Knitting mechanism having independentlyV movable needles, a carrier therefor, an oil reservoir located wholly lower than the path of the needles and supported independently of of said carrier and wicking "for leading the oil from said reservoir directly to the vicinity of the butts of said needles.

5. Giling mechanism for the independently movable needles of knitting machines comprising a receptacle supported independently of the needle carrier and having means to position the same wholly lower than the path of the needles lto be lubricated thereby, and wicking means for conveying the oil from said receptacle directly te the vicinity'of the butts of said needles.

6. Knitting mechanism havingindependently operable needles provided withv butts, an oil receptaclelocated belowV the path `of said needles, a wicking tubeentending from said receptacle throughithe camv carrying means for actuating the needles, and wicking positioned in said tube and adapted to contact with the needle butts.

7. A circular knitting machine having a cylinder and a dial and independently operable needles in said cylinder and dial and two oil reservoirsY for respectively conducting oil to the cylinder and the dial needles, each of said reservoirs being located wholly below the needles to be lubricated therefrom, and wicking means for conducting oil directly from each reservoir to the butts of the needles pertaining thereto. i

8. A circular knitting machine having a cylinder and a dial, and having a pair uolf oil reservoirs exterior to ythe needle cylinder, one of said reservoirs being mounted above and the other below the lannular ring member surrounding the needle cylinder, the dial cam plate and the vcamy carrier forthe cylinder'needles each having 'an opening therein, tubes -extending yfrom said reservoirs and positioned in' said openings, and wicking in said tubes and extending therethrough and adapted to ysupply oilV to 'the respective needle sets. A

9. Knitting mechanism having independently movable needles with ,butts Aand also having operating cam means including a groove into which said butts project, and means to supply lubricant primarily and directly to said groove and thereby to the said needle butts.

10. Knitting mechanism having independently movable needles with butts and also having operating cam means including la groove into which said butts project, a lubricant receptacle located wholly lower than said needles, and means to supply lubricant in the first instance to the saidgroove whereby the needle butts in said groove receive the lubricant.

llO

11. Knitting mechanism having independently movable needles With butts and a carrier therefor and also having operating cam means including a groove into Which said butts project, and means including a lubricant container and a lubricant-carrying member at said groove structurally distinct from said needle carrier but extending from said container to supply lubricant from said container to the needle butts in said groove.

12. Knitting mechanism having independently movable needles provided With butts and a carrier therefor, cam means for operatin the needles and including a groove to recelve the needle butts, a lubricant receptacle and a pipe or passage structurally dis tinct from said needle carrier but extending from said receptacle to the cam groove of the needle operating cam means, whereby lubricant is conveyed to the needle butts. in the cam groove.

13. Knitting mechanism having independently movable needles With butts, a carrier therefor, a lubricant receptacle supported independently of said carrier, and means also supported independently of said carrier for leading lubricant from said receptacle directly to the vicinity of the butts of said needles.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM P.- DlRUMHELLER. 

